Saturday, May 1, 2010

That's what you can expect to hear when you walk up to a guy on the street, punch him in the face, breaking his jaw, and then stand over him yelling pleasantries, like, "FAGGOT!!! HOMO!!!"

Especially when it all gets caught on videotape.

In sentencing Michael Kandola to 17 months in jail, Mr. Justice Joel Groves added, "It is hard to believe that something as innocent as two men holding hands could cause such a visceral assault. In Canada, people are free to choose to live their lives as they choose, regardless of sexual preference."

So, in essence, Judge Grove has found Kandola guilty of a hate crime.

Many people argue that hate crime laws are unnecessary because we already have many laws on the books prohibiting violence against others.

That is true and often that is enough.

But what are we to do when a person or group assaults another person or group because the latter is Catholic, white, male, female, gay, Fijiian, left-handed, a member of the Cello Players of America, Jewish, black, Japanese or Swiss?